Sunday, April 25, 2010

Scientists often discover new planets in other solar systems. Even though science is not my strength (case in point: maybe they aren’t discovering planets: is it just galaxies...?), I am proud to say I have discovered a new planet all by myself! It’s called Lesson Planet and it is as close as the World Wide Web, rather than 30 million light years away. Much easier for all to explore, wouldn’t you say?

As part of the TOS Crew, I was given an extended trial membership for this out-of-the-world website. Lesson planet is a tremendous resource for all teachers, homeschooling or otherwise, and each lesson is given a rating by teachers, too!

With over 150,000 teacher rated lesson plans and 75,000 worksheets at your fingertips, you are likely to make new discoveries yourself in the realm of enhancing your school’s curriculum. From the basics of the 3 R’s to elective subjects like art and drama-- even plans and worksheets for celebrating holidays or enhancing your unit study-- there is bound to be something for every need that could arise. I was amazed at the subject breadth, there are so many ideas in so many categories...things you may not have thought about-- just waiting to give you a light bulb moment.

The website has a great search engine that allows you to get particular about the types of worksheets or lesson plans you are looking for. You can choose general subjects or get very specific by wanting only key words. You can also select the minimum “star rating” you want to select from. When your search comes up, there’s a peek at the content of each choice, so you can see if that selection headed in the desired direction (rather than a bunch of titles that you would have to click on to find out more about the plan/sheet).

All grades, all subjects, all available for your use with a $39.95 yearly membership. What is nice to know is that you can have a 10-day free trial when you visit the website by clicking here! You will have full use of the site, getting a good feel as to whether or not it will be a good fit for your family. Sign up and see what your curriculum has been missing...and possibly put together some of your own and save a bunch of money!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

To eat this, or not to eat this...? That is the question. That is the question that we all ask ourselves, albeit ever-so-fleetingly, many times a day. A desire for and understanding of good nutrition does not come naturally. I believe a weakness for for the “bad” stuff is about as innate as sin itself. Thus, endeavoring to change that tendency is much like a spiritual journey. Study, prayer and application are about the only way things will ever change.

And then... you are a freak.

Seriously, you start eating really healthy and you’ll get all sorts of flack. You may receive some crazy looks or sarcastic comments, similar to those that non-Christians might give us Evangelicals. You may be called a hippie or a tree hugger or all manner of things!

I have a friend who’s wife died from stomach cancer; he has researched nutrition incessantly, hoping to arm his four children with healthy bodies that will fight against any genetic tendencies. His view of eating healthy is this: If you look at how American’s eat as if it were a face on a clock...you could put the Standard American Diet (aka S.A.D.) at 12:00. If you want to eat right, it isn’t as if you need to tweak things just a bit...say towards 11:55 or 12:10...One must go in the absolute other direction. Good nutrition is at the 6, or the 30 minute mark, in total opposition from mainstream America.

I hope that visual made sense.

So, where am I going with this? Well, as part of the TOS Crew I received a Sue Gregg cookbook, Introducing Whole Foods Cooking for Health and Hospitality, by Rich and Sue Gregg. This is like a cliff-notes version of a nutritional Encyclopedia.

Actually, I have the full-size version of the “nutritional encyclopedia” already: Sally
Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions. It is a wonderful resource/cookbook but it is almost overwhelming in the amount of information it contains. I have vacillated with what I have learned and the actual application for several years. I was certain that there was probably some simplification that could be done, but hadn’t the time to experiment and figure it out. When Sue Gregg’s book arrived I was thrilled to see that she and her husband Rich have incorporated and UNCOMPLICATED the very things that are taught in Nourishing Traditions!

I have had some previous exposure to Sue Gregg’s cookbooks. When I bought my flour mill, years ago, a friend shared one of her Sue Gregg cookbooks with me. I still have many of the recipes. Although they were nutritionally “current” (low fat, whole grain, and using yogurt instead of sour cream etc.) they were nothing like the fundamental nutritional facts found in Sally Fallon’s tome.

When I started reading the Introducing Whole Foods book, I was so happy to see that Sue and Rich Gregg had found and incorporated the truth’s in Fallon’s book as well. This was not the Sue Gregg cookbook of years past. The Gregg’s have learned and evolved in their nutritional expertise and are now passing on their secrets to eating truly healthy (way down there at the “30 minute” mark) to the rest of us.

Introducing Whole Foods for Health and Hospitality is a perfect introduction to taking steps towards solid nutrition. The fact is, healthy eating has been going on since creation; it has only been in the last 100 years or so that things have gone haywire, causing all those nasty “Western” diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. What nutritional knowledge have we lost?

The answers begin in books that teach how foods should be prepared, how they have been prepared in generations past. Thankfully, truly healthful food prep is not a completely lost art, but it isn’t something you’ll find in the latest issue of “Eating Light” or “Healthy Living”. Yet the ways of our ancestors have been preserved by a few and are slowly being practiced by more people.

It is a process of re-educating ourselves. And, as I said, Introducing Whole Foods is a great place to start. Sue and Rich Gregg do an excellent job discussing what true nutrition looks like and how to incorporate that into real life. They take the “scary” out of the process of using grains properly, and they give you recipes that really do taste delicious! Furthermore, through their genius idea of using your blender for a mill, you can enjoy hard-core nutrition in very doable ways. In fact, the “Blender Batter Pancakes” are the best pancakes we’ve ever eaten (and we have had stacks and stacks...). Tip: if you ever make these, cook on lower heat for a longer period, these babies are thick and will stay gooey in the middle if you aren’t careful!

Where does wisdom for right relationship to our food ultimately come from? The Word of God, of course. Recognizing this fact, the Greggs have also included Bible studies on the use of food, the way food brings us all together and how we can glorify God through what we eat, as well as how we eat it. They take spiritual food and natural food and show how closely the two are related.

Introducing Whole Foods for Health and Hospitality is a terrific way to take the first step towards truly eating right. It is also a wonderful little home-ec/Bible study course that you can do on your own, with your children or even in a co-op setting. What could be better than getting together and baking bread with a bunch of friends? (Yes, ok, coffee at Starbucks is right up there).

Once you get comfortable with the easy recipes in Introducing Whole Foods, there are many more cookbooks that the Greggs have written that delve further into the nutritional realm. One feature with this cookbook that is just fabulous is the inclusion of a CD that takes you step by step, using photos, through the recipes, removing all the mystery out of preparing food and eating right!

Sue Gregg has a tremendous website, with some recipes you can try before you buy, allowing you to anticipate the great things to come in the cookbooks you order. You can visit the Gregg’s website by clicking here. Introducing Whole Foods for Health and Hospitality sells for $23. In this day and age, it can be hard to decipher the latest nutritional craze and buzz-words...turn your back on all that and get back to basics with the sound nutritional guidance in this cookbook! The money you'll save in the long run by eating healthy now is well worth your time and money.

Below is a picture of a healthy coffee cake recipe that I made several times, much to the delight of my family! I doubled it to make a 9 x 13 pan to feed 12. It did!

Friday, April 9, 2010

My time as a reviewer for the TOS Crew is coming to a blessed end after this month! Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful that I have had the opportunity to be forced to write and explore and meet deadlines...it has been a terrific training ground for me! I am grateful for the opportunity and have learned and grown from the experience. Although I was tempted at times to resign, due to lack of time for the amount of commitment involved, by God's grace I have seen it through!

Furthermore, I have been tremendously blessed by a job opportunity that has sprung out of one of my reviews (officially my first paid writing job!). I am now writing product descriptions for the homeschooling curriculum company All About Spelling/Reading. So, it is exciting to see God using my gifts in a productive way.

I have had very little time to dedicate to writing anything on this blog, other than product reviews. Hopefully you have found the reviews helpful in some way, but I do miss getting to just blab about whatever is on my mind, or get on my soapbox about things that are important to me!

Since, at the moment, time is still a constraint, I thought I would just post part of an email that I just received from the Women's Ministry in our church. I found its truth to be an encouraging and gentle reminder of what my role is as a daughter of Christ and wife to one awesome guy! May you be piqued by the truth as well!

The greatest evidence of how big I believe God is, and how trustworthy I think God is, is my willingness to come under God-ordained authority when I don’t agree with it.

God intended for men and women to understand that they are equal in their humanity, dignity, worth, and value before God. Yet God intended for the woman to be different from the man, and these matter in terms of how we function best.

If we follow God’s design, we enter into the joy of the functioning of it. If we go against God’s design, we harm ourselves and others in the process.

There was a reason that Jesus taught in parables. He knew that stories can convey deep truths in ways that a long explanation cannot. (Well, after all, He knows everything!). It surely makes sense to follow His example when we want to teach biblical concepts to kids: word pictures deliver!

If you have ever read Pilgrim’s Progress or Hinds Feet on High Places, you know that an allegory can take story telling to the next level. That is what Ed Dunlop, author of the Terrestria Chronicles, has set out to do in his stories. I received a copy of “The Crown of Kuros,” and “The Dragon’s Egg,” in exchange for my review of these books. They are book #4 and #5 within the 7 books that make up the series.

Set in the realm of King Emmanuel, Lord of all of Terrestria, within the walls of The Castle of Faith, the princes and princesses that serve the King find their commitment to Him tested in various ways. Both stories follow young Prince Josiah who has, in prior volumes, been freed from slavery to the wicked Argamor, (the King’s nemesis, who desires to cause unfaithfulness to King Emmanuel throughout the realm). Josiah is now in grateful service to the true King.

He and his fellow young noblemen, Prince Selwyn and Princess Gilda, are in the King’s employ and have various quests and errands that are entrusted to them as they serve in The Castle of Faith. The cast of characters in each story have names that, in most part, describe just that: their character! Names like Sir Faithful,Sir Dedication, Sir PretentiousandCaptain Assurance will help the reader see how these traits play out in the lives through each individual's interaction. Or, how about CaptainCovetousnessandCaptainDiscontent as part of the crew of the bad guys? The way these chronicles state the obvious will help the reader recognize these attributes in their own lives.

In The Crown of Kuros, Josiah’s faithful heart is tested. He joyfully serves King Emmanuel but occasionally has his own agenda and is tempted by a desire to be recognized for his own glory. In fact, he learns that a rash act of impatience on his part, has perhaps cost the security of the realm.

Whoever holds the Crown of Kuros, controls the land of Terrestria. When it comes up missing from its secure place in the Castle of Faith, Josiah is determined to help bring the crown back. The quest leads him and Prince Selwyn into the underworld of Argamor where they overhear Argamor’s commanders plotting how they will overthrow the land of Terrestria. The evil doers know they cannot win by sheer force, as their numbers are much fewer than that of King Emmanuel. But there is a much more powerful method that they have devised to conquer the land: one heart at a time.

Through the use of “Spellavision” and seducing music, as well as a variety of subtleties such as making women discontent with their role as wife and mother, Aragamor’s minions have devised a subtle but formidable attack that will destroy Emmanuel’s kingdom from within itself. Through the power of allegory, your children will recognize how each of these temptations in Terrestria are very real struggles that are present in their lives today. Seeing how the people of the land are seduced-- or how they overcome-- will surely bring to light the struggle against evil that each of us face.

In the meantime, Josiah must come to grips with conflicts and struggles within. He is also haunted by the notion that the crown's disappearance just might have something to do with his own shortcomings. He is more determined than ever to recover the crown of Kuros to its rightful place in The Castle of Faith.

Once again, in The Dragon’s Egg, we find Josiah, zealous as always to serve, yet continuing to make selfish choices. This time The Castle of Faith and the land of Terrestria will be in grave danger thanks to Josiah’s secret sin. The thing that once seemed so innocent and so easily justified has taken on a life of its own! Your kids will recognize Satan’s ability, as old as the Fall of Man, to twist the words of Emmanuel and make us doubt the instructions He gives. Your children will see that those secret “little sins” are just as big as the obvious ones...and can be much more destructive.

Through the power of story, so many biblical truths come to light. In a very tangible way your kids will relate to the struggles, the temptations, and the promises of scripture that are reflected throughout the character’s adventures. I would give both books two thumbs up for their ability to make plain the truths of scripture, although the technical side of writing falls short. I think a good set of editorial eyes would be beneficial to Mr. Dunlop's terrific tales; yet it is doubtful that kids will be overly deft in this area.

To check out all of the Terrestria Chronicles, as well as other books written by Ed Dunlop, clickhere. Each paperback book sells for $7.99, or $39.99 for the set, (hardcover sets available at a higher price). You may also purchase a study guide which goes along with the entire set; this would be a great addition to family devotions.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Fostering initiative to learn on their own is likely ( I hope!) one of your goals as a parent. Although it would be great to hand our children a stack of need-to-know-before-you-leave-home books and say, “read these over the next 10 years,” that is a notion that just won’t catch on! However, these days there are so many great resources that encourage our children to learn in the ways most modern day kids are wired, why not take advantage of this convenience?

One such website, Wiglington and Wenks, has created a virtual world rivaling any time-wasting video game in graphics, but with just the opposite effect-- learning! Based on the popular children’s series by John Bittleston, Wiglington and Wenks has created a virtual parallel world of our own. With geography as the basis and history as the thrust, this wonderland will offer a plethora of educational adventures around the world from the comfort of your home PC! In exchange for my review, we were given a 30-day membership to all aspects of the game.

Your child will build a “mini-me” version of themselves, as well as select an onscreen name. One cool aspect is that they will be able to interact with other kids from all over the world that are playing as well! In the meantime, they will be exploring the world as well as having the ability to earn points and create their own little microcosim by purchasing their own island that they can decorate and personalize. These fun little touches are really just the motivating factor behind the bigger concept: teaching geography, history and environmental awareness.

Famous people from the past, from emporers to scientists, have been time-warped to the present. Worse yet, they have amnesia and cannot remember who they are or where they came from. The child’s job is to is to help gather artifacts that will help the displaced VIP remember who they are and make it back to their spot in history.

Designed by a group called Media Freaks, the engaging cartoons have depth and an “Adventures in Odyssey” feel. Wiglington and Wenks is an adventure for kids that create and effortless educational experience. If only history had been this interactive for us as kids, perhaps we would have retained more as adults!

Protecting your child online is of utmost concern for the Media Freaks crew. They have many forms of protection in place to ensure your child is safe in their virtual world. You can read all precautions that are in place for your child’s sake, by clicking on the "parent's corner" icon and then clicking on "safety features" (I tried to make a link right to it, but it wouldn't cooperate!). You can get to all that by clicking here.

Some of you may appreciate knowing that one important person to be rescued from the present is Charles Darwin. We did not play the game to the point of trying to rescue this particular character so I don’t know how much evolution is stressed in the process of trying to rescue him. I just figured it would be good to point that out.

One other item of note is the emphasis on environmental issues and the responsibility we all have in preserving our planet. I am in agreement with being a good steward of the Earth but, again, did not experience enough of the game to know how much they embrace the “mother Earth” sort of philosophy. I would make the assumption that it mostly stresses each of us doing our part...but I do not know if it slants into any sort of Earth “worship”, so to speak. Again, it just seemed like an issue that some may like to be made aware of.

The last two cautions aside, I would say any level headed, well-rounded child can play and excel and learn in the world of Wiglington and Wenks, accepting that Darwin and the Environment are important aspects of our modern-day life; they are matters that impact us everyday in one way or another so we must handle them in light of Scripture.

Have a look around and see what you think about this didactic adventure. Membership to the basics of the game is FREE! However to access all areas and have special privileges, you can also purchase a membership (ranging from $5.99 per month or a full year for $59.99) Click here to link to Wiglington and Wenks’ world, sign up, play around and see if you want the full Monty! It is truly an affordable way to explore the planet and appreciate it through the lens of history. The fun factor is definitely there, just the icing on the cake of learning through experiencing!

I would like to post a comment that the CEO of Wiglington and Wenks posted on another Crew member's blog. It is concerning the "chat feature" of the website, that allows players to interact. We didn't do much chatting so I didn't give it much thought. However, it is nice to know that Media Freaks is listening to parent's safety concerns. Here is what was stated:Regarding the chat aspect, you would be pleased to hear that we will soon release 3 levels of chat that can be selected during registration -

No Chat - The No Chat option is for parents who want their children to focus solely on the virtual world quests and not interact with other players. Using this option, your child will not be allowed to engage in any form of chat, nor see any chat. You can toggle this feature off later in the Parents Control Panel and switch this to Safe Chat mode.

Safe Chat - The Safe Chat mode is for parents who want to limit their children's interaction on the virtual world. Using this option, players will only be able to chat and view chat using chatlines from a safe pre-constructed list.

Moderated Free Chat -
The Moderated Free Chat mode is for parents who want their children to learn about different cultures and gain social skills through interacting with children from other countries and through engaging in team activities. Using this option, players are able to chat freely using a chat system which is moderated for abusive language. However, no chat moderation system is 100% foolproof and occasionally abusive language presented in different forms may still surface. It is up to parents to guide and educate their children on reacting appropriately to such unwanted chat.

In fact, we have already developed the safe chat system and it is currently in Beta testing phase - http://blog.wiglingtonandwenks.com/ww-news/wiglington-and-wenks-launches-beta-testing-of-safe-chat

You have our assurance that child safety is of utmost importance to us and we will keep working hard to make it as close to perfection as possible.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Many of you may already be familiar with Children’s Bible Hour (CBH); a delightful radio broadcast in which the inviting voice of “Uncle Charlie” reads Bible based stories to kids. We have an old set of CBH cassette tapes (guess that is redundant: tapes=old) that my son, in particular, has worn out over the years.

CBH now brings four of those stories to life with their “Seasons of Faith” book series. I was recently sent a set for review. Each beautifully illustrated, soft cover book tells the story of one aspect of life that we will all experience as Believers. Much like a parable helps to give a concrete idea of a spiritual concept, these stories help kids grasp what walking through life’s challenges-- with Christ-- looks like.

Spring is the time when new faith prods growth and a desire to share this wonderful faith with others.

Race with Midnight: Becky is off to spend spring break in Montana at her cousin Sarah's ranch. She's looking forward to learning how to ride a horse and doing lots of horseback riding. She is also praying that she will have the opportunity to share the gospel with her unsaved family members. Will Becky have the opportunity to share the gospel with Sarah and her family? Will they listen?

Summer is a time of maturing as we learn how to apply God’s truths to our lives and see his care in developing Fruits of the Spirit.

You Can't Come In: Zack and Adam are new best buds who decide to build a fort together. During the process, Zack ends up getting completely muddy. This leads to some interesting conversations between Zack and Adam as well as Zack's parents later on in the evening. Will Adam be able to share the gospel message with Zack? Will Zack understand what Adam is telling him?

Autumn is a time when we will experience struggle and setbacks in our walk. Our faith is challenged and transitions stretch us, yet through it all we will see God’s faithfulness.

Seventy Times Seven: Brad and Doug a good friends, but Brad is upset about a few things Doug as done to him. One day, while the boys are playing baseball, Brad accidentally hits a ball through Mr. Jeffries' ice cream shop window. Mr. Jeffries forgives Brad. Can Brad do the same and forgive Doug?

Winter can bring times of seemingly dormant faith when troubles overwhelm and test us. It is a time to learn to trust, regardless of the circumstance, and learn of God’s comfort and peace.

Braving the Storm: Things have been pretty tough for Thomas and his family lately. Thomas is feeling pretty down, so his Grandpa tries to help him get through the tough times by depending on God. Will Thomas learn the lesson his Grandpa is trying to teach him?

Each of these stories come with a CD of Uncle Charlie reading the story from the original radio broadcast. Your younger ones will delight in following along with the book, whilst waiting on that endearing turn-the-page “chime” we 40-somethings can recall hearing in books on...records?...8-tracks? It is sure to make parents wax nostalgic!

Your older kids will be able to handle the reading themselves, although everyone would probably enjoy listening to Uncle Charlie while riding in the car. These stories are not subtle in their presentation of gospel concepts. Ideas such as being too muddy to come in the house, are obviously paralleled to the state of sin keeping us out of heaven, for example. At the back of each book there is also an explanation of How to Become a Christian. This could prove to be eternally valuable for unsaved care-givers that may read the story to the children. It could also be a tool for your child to witness and lead others to Christ!

The old fashioned charm of these books is matched by an affordable price. Each book with CD is just $10, and now through April 15th, 2010, you can get free standard shipping when you buy the set! (Use code: FREESHIPAPR15) Personally, I think all four books should stay together, helping kids to comprehend the long term seasons of the Christian journey. Click here to order yours today!

At the Intersection of Creation and Evolution: A Dream

The alliterating story below is based on a dream I had several years ago. Please contact me for permission to reproduce.

Darkness devours me.

I am enveloped in emptiness.

Are my eyes open or are they closed? I strain against this shroud of night and still see nothing.

What is this place?

An image illuminates in front of me. A large, leafy tree streaks past and vanishes.

It deserts me to the darkness again.

In a moment, more images appear. A rapid succession of snapshots and thoughts clamor before my eyes and mingle in my mind.

I see seedlings. Several supple shoots have emerged before me and then swiftly stream away.

“The first trees on earth were not seedlings”, my mind observes. “They were not created as small insignificant saplings.”

That thought is rapidly replaced with a vision of a man. He’s maybe 30; he is muscular and needs to shave.He fades away.

In his place I see an infant.

A tiny bundle of pink skin upon a soft blanket flickers briefly in my brain.

“Man was created with age,” is the next statement I hear. “Adam did not begin his life as a baby, he began as a grown man.”

The voice seems like my own. The thoughts do not.

Reeling before me now is a blur of rivers, forests, mountains and even layers of the earth. It is like a movie rushing rapidly before my retina.

The soundtrack of this epic is proclaiming a peculiarly plain concept:

“The earth was created with age. Creation and evolution are not in total opposition. There is a reason that science finds the earth to be quite old: it was made that way.”

Thoughts continue to tumble through my mind; pictures parade before me. I listen in amazement to what seems to be puzzlingly profound and yet rather apparent all at once.

“Adam was created as an adult. Trees and plants were made fully grown.”

I suddenly feel quite certain that, if I were to chop down some of the trees that had been spoken into existence, I would find a range of rings running through their trunks.

“The earth was brought to life with age built into it… just like Adam. He did not begin life as an infant. The earth came into being with what it would need to sustain the life that was created. It was old when it was young. The world wasmade with maturity; it was also produced with purpose.”

These thoughts are thrilling. Why had I not seen this before? It seems so simple. Obtusely obvious. Had others not observed this correlation? If they had, why wasn’t it being candidly conveyed?

In the span of thirty seconds I have been ravaged by a radical revelation. I feel the weight of its worth resting on me; it is tantamount to tangible.

I am neither a theologian nor am I a scientist. I don’t claim that the ethics of evolution are completely compatible with the Bible’s account of creation. But certainly Science can come concurrent to creation and affirm our faith with facts.

Of course, the Omnipotent Originator of the Universe is exceedingly elusive to what our mind could ever envision. Above what science could ever extensively elucidate.

Accordingly, creation is confounding too. Each diverse discovery deems it more marvelous to grasp. Many scientists have reluctantly relented to the theory of Intelligent Design.

That’s why, alongside those facts, we also need faith.Lying inexplicably at the intersection of those two essential elements is an exceptional endowment: the intermittent insight of our dreams.

Links to family resources, homeschooling material, healthy living and beautiful music!

Followers

Today's Deep Pondering 2/10/11

"Somehow, we have created a community of respectability in the church...The down-&-out, who flocked to Jesus when he lived on earth, no longer feel welcome. How did Jesus, the only perfect person in history, manage to attract the notoriously imperfect? And what keeps us from following in his steps today?" Philip Yancey

Today's Deep Pondering 1/31/11

"I'm not what I could be. I'm not what I should be. But I'm not what I was." James MacDonald

Today's Deep Pondering 1/16/11

"I bear the Maker’s image, and one of the ways that plays out is that I delight in making. I’ve loved to draw for as long as I can remember. From the moment I picked up the guitar I wasn’t content to play another guy’s songs–I wanted to sing my own. Ever since I was a kid I wanted to write stories. I love stories, and thrill to an imagination on fire. I sat down in front of the blank page and let my imagination run wild, did my best to tell a story I would want to be told. If a reader is willing to trust me with a little of his or her imagination, I want to light it up with truth, and beauty, and goodness."

Andrew Peterson, author of The Wingfeather Saga. A great expression of why I write, as well!

Today's Deep Pondering 12/5/10

"In our present world, people devote too much time on personal gain instead of productive change such as evangelism, cures to diseases, protecting the innocent and punishing the wicked, etc. And through Christ's continuous trials that He places in our lives He gives us the chance to rise to the occasion and to glorify the One Who's forgiveness reaches as far as the east is from the west. the One who maintains the equilibrium of every cosmic and atomic force in the universe. The One who determined how you would be molded in His image not only in the womb, but in the predestined things that He will give and take away from us so that we might bring glory to the Creator and not the creation. And the One Who will judge the living and the dead at the returning of His kingdom. In this knowledge we must not live for tomorrow, but for eternity." Adam Christopher Martin, class of '09

Today's Deep Pondering 12/4/10

"The best way to drive out a bad worldview is by offering a good one, and Christians need to move beyond criticizing culture to creating culture." Nancy Pearcey

Today's Deep Pondering 11/28/10

"Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that flame, it will burn very briefly." Stephen R. Covey

Today's Deep Pondering 10/5/10

"Why do we make so much of what won't endure?"Bret Rogers

Today's Deep Pondering 10/4/10

"The sovereign activity of God oversees our lives and every event in them to fulfill HIS purpose of overwhelming our mortality with his LIFE." Jason Lee

Today's Deep Pondering 8/15/10

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. A man who has nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety is a miserable creature who has no chance at being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." John Stuart Mill

Today's Deep Pondering 6/30/10

"Bitterness robs us of joy and peace. It hijacks us, taking us places we never wanted to go, doing things we never wanted to do, and making us people we never wanted to be."Bill Elliff

Today's Deep Pondering 6/30/10

"To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and then discover the prisoner was you."Unknown

Today's Deep Pondering 6/25/10

"Man weighs your actions but God weighs your intentions."

Thomas A. Kempis

Today's Deep Pondering 6/10/10

"No Creature that deserved redemption would need to be redeemed." C.S. Lewis

Today's Deep Pondering 6/8/10

"Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand." Thomas Carlyle

Today's Deep Pondering 5/28/10

"To be holy, God does not conform to a standard--He is the standard." A.W. Tozer

Today's Deep Pondering 5/21/10

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."Jim Elliot

Today's Deep Pondering 5/21/10

"Perfection is being, not doing; it is not to effect an act but to achieve a character."Fulton J. Sheen

Today's Deep Pondering 5/21/10

"All moral obligation resolves itself into the obligation of conformity to the will of God."Charles Hodge

Today's Deep Pondering 4/13/10

We the people are the rightful masters of both congress and the courts, not to overthrow the constitution, but to overthrow men who pervert the constitution."

- Abraham Lincoln

Today's Deep Pondering 4/2/10

"Don't be afraid to embrace whimsy...the idea that life could be magical."Bob Goff

Today's Deep Pondering 12/18/09

"Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obsures your sense of God, or takes away the relish of spiritual things; in short whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind--that thing is sin to you."Susannah Wesley

Today's Deep Pondering 12/9/2009

"To be crucified means, first, the man on the cross is facing only one direction; second, he is not going back; and third, he has no further plans of his own." A.W. Tozer

Today's Deep Pondering 11/18/09

"The most important thought I ever had was that of my individual responsibility before God."Daniel Webster

Today's Deep Pondering 11/14/09

"People don't stop playing because they grow old, they grow old because they stop playing!"Ziggy Marley

Today's Deep Pondering 11/10/09

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."Anne Frank

Today's Deep Pondering: 11/04/09

"Our situation was truly desperate. We had no hope...no possibility of overcoming sin's dominion on our own. No power to initiate our own salvation. No potential of ever having a right relationship with God. We could not do anything to change or improve our situation. If our sinful condition had made us only sick or weak, we might have entertained hopes of getting better. But we weren't sick; we were dead. Someone had to infuse life into us. Someone did."From Seeking Him 12-Week Study by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom

Today's Deep Pondering: 10/22/09

"God always builds on ruins."M. Judy

Today's Deep Pondering: 10/13/09

"Pray you grow up before you grow old."Unknown

Today's Deep Pondering: 10/08/09

"Nobody can always have devout feelings; and even if we could, feelings are not what God principally cares about. Christian love, either toward God or toward man, is an affair of the will. But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, his love for us does not."C.S. Lewis

Today's Deep Pondering: 9/16/09

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it...Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure...Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."Helen Keller

Today's Deep Pondering: 9/1/09

"Nothing can enter heaven which is not real; nothing erroneous, mistaken, conceited, hollow, professional, pretentious, [or] insubstantial, can be smuggled through the gates. Only truth can dwell with the God of truth." C.H. Spurgeon

Today's Deep Pondering: 8/25/09

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. --Corrie Ten Boom

Today's Deep Pondering 8/23/09

The man who lives by himself and for himself is apt to be corrupted by the company he keeps.C.H. Parkhurst

Today's Deep Pondering: 8/11/09

"Despair is such a waste of time when there is joy, and lack of faith is such a waste of time when there is God." Larry Burner

Today's Deep Pondering: 8/7/09

No man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow's burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear. Never load yourself so. If you find yourself so loaded, at least remember this: it is your own doing, not God's. He begs you to leave the future to him, and mind the present.George MacDonald

Today's Deep Pondering: 8/6/09

"If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you [don't] like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself." Augustine of Hippo

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Easy, Fabulous Toffee

Here's a recipe that will make you fat. Sorry, but, it is so good, you really don't want to share it. You want to secretly eat the whole thing! Thankfully it is VERY easy to make. You will make it so much, once you try it, you'll know the recipe by heart when someone asks for it. And they will... if you let them have some and you don't keep it all for yourself!Plain or honey graham crackers.2 sticks of real butter (may substitute up to one stick with margarine, if you're into that).1 C brown sugar, packed. I prefer dark but both work fine.1 package semi-sweet choc. chipsPreheat oven to 350. Line a jelly roll pan with graham crackers, cut to fit so that it is wall to wall grahams! Melt butter in sauce pan, add brown sugar. Turn up heat, stirring occasionally, while mixture comes to a boil. Dark brown sugar can burn a bit easier, FYI. Let boil together, still stirring only occasionally, keeping heat up pretty high. The mixture should look foamy and combined in about three minutes. Pour over the graham crackers and spread around with the back of a spoon to cover. Place pan in over and cook for 10 minutes.Remove and pour the package of chocolate chips over the top, fairly evenly. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Chips will look shiny, meaning they are melted. Spread them around evenly with spatula. Place entire pan in fridge and let harden (about 30 minutes). Cut or break into pieces. For crunchiest toffee, keep in fridge and take out before serving.Some variations: Add cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to butter mixture before you pour over grahams. Or, after you spread the melted chips on top, sprinkle with nuts of your choice, toasted almonds are quite tasty! You may also substitute some of the semi-sweet chips for milk chocolate, but they do not spread as well so I don't recommend only using milk chocolate. A pretty variation is to sprinkle a few white chocolate chips randomly on top of the semi-sweet chips that have already been spread around. Let the white chocolate chips melt and use a butter knife to spread the white chips in a zig-zag pattern across the toffee.

Fancy Shmancy Cream Cheese Sandwich

Here's an unbelievably easy yet gourmet tasting sandwich. Eat it with soup or fruit, or serve at a luncheon, either way you will get a bunch of requests to make it again!

Spread one slice of bread with cream cheese, the other with raspberry jam. Place a few slices of smoked turkey between the two and sear in a skillet with a little bit of butter. Be ready to see eyes rolling and hear throats groaning when eveyone takes a bite!

I cannot take credit for this delicious combo. My friend Susan had it at one of those "frou-frou" restraunts and copied it at home. Once she made it for me, I was hooked!

My sweetheart and me!

Capuccino Cream Cheese Recipe

Here's a yummy recipe that will turn breakfast bagels from boring to bodacious!1 pkg. Cream Cheese at room temp.1/4 Cup of very strong coffee or one shot of espresso (if you don't care for strong coffee flavor, start with less coffee and taste and add as you mix).1/2- 1 whole cup of powdered sugar (taste and add as you mix)1 tsp. vanilla (optional)Mix well with electric mixer. Store in fridge for up to two weeks. This is simply decadent and is a great item for a brunch. Good spread on banana bread too!

Back "home" in beautiful Vancouver, WA

THE THREE LITTLE WEE-BOOKS. SMALL BOOKS OFFER BIG HELP IN GETTING KIDS TO WRITE!

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that all children find writing therapeutic. For some, writing is a creative outlet that makes sense of all the ideas floating around in their creative noggins. For many others, writing is akin to shock therapy or other primitive forms of institutionalized torture.

In addition, the parents that are trying to teach their children to write…well, that comes with its own set of “therapeutic” effects depending on their prior experience with the craft. Even adults that have a good grasp of the process may struggle with how to systematically teach writing to their children. If only we could figure out how to teach and learn by osmosis, right?

I recently read three “Wee-books” that take the colossal task of teaching children to write and turn it into small doable portions that are easily assimilated. At under $2 a book, these little gems are a good investment in practical writing techniques and ideas.

“What’s a “Wee-book”?” you may ask. A Wee-book is simply a small (or wee) e-book. Just in case you are unfamiliar with this rather new concept in book publishing, e-books are online books that are completely electronic and paperless. They download right onto your computer. Wee-books are shorter, inexpensive books on a variety of subjects of homeschooling interest, brought to you by the folks in-the-know at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

Though I had the opportunity to review any three Wee-books of the over 30 that are currently available, I decided to choose three on the subject of writing. I must admit that I am one of those parents that love to write but struggles with how to practically convey what I know to my kids.

Getting to the Root of Writer’s Block by Kim Kautzer was the first of the three Wee-books that I read. As a writer myself, I wanted to know the answer to the plaguing question of writer’s block! Ms. Kautzer presents us with a typical scenario of teacher telling student to “write about anything,” and student staring at blank page having not a clue where to start. Been there, done that, haven’t you?

Well, without giving away the complete answer to where the root of writer’s block lies, let’s just say I learned that it could be summed up in the problem of being a perfectionist. Writing is a craft that takes vulnerability, laying out personal ideas for others to judge. Our human nature wants it to be just right on the first try and to have our efforts loved and not criticized. Unrealistic desires, grant it, but what we all struggle with, nonetheless.

Ms. Kautzer rightly states that, “writing is a process, not an event.” She then breaks down that process into steps that are easily understood, attainable, and will point the instructor in the right direction so they, in turn, can lead the student. From brainstorming to the final draft, Getting to the Root of Writer'sBlock takes you succinctly through the progression.

One thing I would add that Ms. Kautzer didn’t touch on as a cause for writer's block is that our human nature can just be plain lazy. Writing, revising and rewriting can seem like drudgery in some ways, and is not for the “fast food” mentality that plagues kids and parents alike in this day and age. Frankly, there's a shortage of short cuts that one can take to write a good piece of work; we’ll have to be thankful for spell check and grammar suggestions via our PC as tools that help to shorten the process. That said, Ms. Kautzer presents the parent with many good ideas for preventing writer’s block and ways of dealing with it if it rears its ugly head.

With the problem of writer’s block at least tackled, let’s take a leap to an important staple in the career of any student: the essay. Writing Essays, by veteran homeschool author Ruth Beecheck, is the second Wee-book that I would like to look at. With essay writing “entrenched in our schooling system”, getting a handle on writing an essay is an important task.

The four types of essays a student needs to learn to write are discussed with emphasis on what a college looks for in a good essay as well. Working through your first draft and writing essays for tests are also given some discussion time.

What Ms. Beecheck does a knockout job of in WritingEssays is offering up truly helpful suggestions on ways to write effectively; to a write in a way that the reader can easily follow. She states that, “with good sequence, the thoughts flow smoothly for your reader,” and then suggests some wonderful ways in which to accomplish this, giving concrete examples as she presents different techniques.

Essay writing is a skill every student needs to grasp. It must begin at a young age, in small assignments, and build in length and complexity as the child grows. Ms. Beecheck issues this obligation and then gives the teacher superb guidance on how to make excellent essays a reality in their student’s lives.

Finally, for the parent who may read through the two Wee-books I just reviewed and still feel daunted by the task of teaching these skills in an effective way, Writer’s Workshop by Maggie Hogan may provide just the solution to this problem. I must admit that, at first, I was resistant to the idea of putting such a workshop together. Sounded like a lot of effort and stress waiting to happen!

Though anything worthwhile certainly takes some effort, Ms. Hogan shows why such a venture does not need to be stressful. Creating a writer’s workshop is actually forming a writing co-op with some other willing parents. If you follow the suggestions laid out in Writer’s Workshop, the work will be easily and evenly spread out and a successful group can be enjoyed by all (yes, even the kids!).

Ms. Hogan stresses that the ultimate purpose of creating these workshops is not to just end up with polished projects. “If you are more concerned with the finished piece than with the child, you may get a few nicely written works, but your child may have learned little about writing.” Truly, if we make the finished product the goal, the child will fall quickly into the perfectionist mentality that we already discussed as being self-defeating.

However, using the tips and suggestions that have worked for Ms. Hogan for the last ten years, you can feel confident that your efforts will pay off with kids that will actually enjoy the journey of writing (maybe for the first time ever). Writer’sWorkshop will guide your group through the first meeting, how to get organized and what kind of game plan you will walk away with. Then it will take you step-by-step through what a regular meeting should look like right down to what the toddlers are doing to keep busy!

One of my favorite ideas is that of the “author’s chair”. It is considered “the most important element of the workshop”. The author’s chair is a special chair designated for the reading of one’s work. Though it may be a different chair depending on where the meeting is held from week to week, it is a spot set apart when the time comes for kids to share (voluntarily) their work. The chair signifies a time to read, listen politely and offer kind comments or ask a few questions.

The typical meeting is broken down into three steps (with an optional fourth) that are explained in detail with plenty of room to customize according to the needs of your particular group. The ideas presented are not intimidating but, rather, encouraging and tempting to try. With a few other committed families (ages of children can vary widely), you can use the template from Writer’s Workshop to foster an environment of writing that will encourage even the most reluctant writer to give their best effort. Parents are encouraged to give it a try too!

All three of the Wee-books reviewed also include a “Further Resource” section at the end that will allow you to click on and instantly access more material and curriculum that will help you on your writing journey. You can download these Wee-books and many others on a variety of subjects in the online store from The OldSchoolhouse Magazine. Conquer your child's writing fears-- and your own-- or learn something new today! Click here to check it all out without delay:

e-BOOK REVIEW

HomeWork from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

Homeschooling families are often single-income families. Yet, what stay-at-home mother hasn’t lamented over her inability to contribute, in some way, to the family income? Most of us have at least day dreamed about a home-based business; whether to supplement what our husband brings home or to allow our families to work alongside one another. HomeWork, an e-book available from The Old SchoolhouseMagazine has collected a wonderful menagerie of stories about homeschooling mothers that have managed to make their Home also a place of Work (thus the clever title!).

The single income dilemma has always clung to me like a pair of pants that were a size too small and uncomfortably tight. If I could just lose a few pounds, if I could just figure out what the right job would be for me, then everything would fit just right. The “if” is what looms in your mind when you are a struggling single income family. What “if” you invest in something and it goes belly-up? What “if” you have a great product but find that it consumes too much time and homeschooling falls by the wayside? What “if” you never give it a try?

HomeWork does a fabulous job of introducing the reader to successful homeschooling families that have taken the leap of faith and begun their own home based business. Some of the stories are of professions that encompass the entire family, others are part time ventures taken on by busy homeschooling mothers. All of the stories are written in a conversational tone in a way that naturally tells the families’ journey.

There are a variety of enterprises explored in this book. From homemade crafts that sell on the internet to running a Bed and Breakfast, there is something for everyone within these pages. The stories combine the ins and outs of that job’s particular quirks with how those things fit into a typical day of school for the family. The reader will learn how these businesses began, what it took to get them going (helpful ideas such as lease financing, marketing, overhead, and how to use the internet), and the stories include where the children fit into the scheme of things as well. Each synopsis shows what it currently takes to keep everything afloat.

Having not read many e-books myself, I was pleased with the effortless reading format of this book. The font was easy on the eyes and the table of contents took you to the stories that interested you most. One great little perk with this e-book is that each family had websites and/or blogs which could be instantly accessed at the end of their story. In many cases, I was able view the products that I just read about. Can’t do that with a paperback!

Furthermore, there are resources at the end of the book to help with bookkeeping, financing and organizing. Many of the obvious questions that would come up when considering such a venture are dealt with in a “Q & A” section as well.

I would highly recommend HomeWork as a very useful tool for most home school families. Even if you know that it is not at all the right time to look into something like this, eventually the thought and/or the opportunity will present itself! Even the independently wealthy get bored, right? (Not that I would know!). The ideas presented in these pages are worth chewing on and exploring. Building a business takes preparation and time. If you plan ahead and read this now, you’ll have a much better idea of what you want to do and how to go about doing it when the time inevitably comes.